The Road Taken
by N1ghtRaven22
Summary: Sometimes choices have drastic consequences. For Robin, these choices are what make him, why he follows the road he has taken. In the end, there may just be a super hero civil war. Friend today may be foe 2moro.That goes for heroes and villains  Tforsafet
1. Chapter 1

Hello, and welcome to my story. This is RobRae centric, but it will include a wide cast of DC Universe characters in it. Well, take a look, hope you like it and ill say more at the end of this chapter.

The dark haired empath stirred as sunlight crept into her room. She blinked the sleep out of her eyes as she tried to remember what she had dreamed of the night before.

"Whatever it was, it must have been pretty good." She mused seeing how she awoke fully energized and ready for the day to come. There was one thing that troubled her. Since the defeat of Trigon, her dreams had a way of starring Robin in a whole new light. Every so often, her dreams would revolve around the fearless leader. Him going to rescue her. His gentle voice as he reassured her that everything would be okay. Flashbacks of her, in her younger state, being held and carried out of the hell she was sentenced to. There were also other dreams now that her emotions were free. Some that, as far as she could remember, were of her and Robin in a more "intimate" light. Never anything explicit, just a simple hug here, holding hands there, so on and so forth.

The girl summed it up to admiration. I mean really, who wouldn't look up to the guy that went to hell and back to save her?

"He would do the same for Starfire..or anyone for that matter." Sighing, she threw her thin blankets off of her and decided that a shower would help clear her thoughts.

It had been a rough week. Today was the day the team had decided that they would make the life-changing decision. Little did she realize that the object of her thoughts was having a similar conversation in his head.

Robin, always the first one up and the last one to go. Hard working? No doubt about it. Determined? Try borderline obsessive. But no one could ever fault him or say that the non-powered hero held back the team. He was the one who pushed their limits. For all the powers that his teammates had, none could match his will, nor the skill he possessed in battle. Robin was the protégé to the legendary Batman. Even among the older heroes in the Justice League, he was known as a true protector. Superman in particular had tried on more than one occasion, to approach the Titans and offer them membership into the league. He knew that the Batman would not approve, of that he was sure. Bruce had made it quite clear that Robin was not to be approached by the JLU. Still, they figured that Bruce's warning was only extended to Robin, so they talked to the other Titans. Superman knew it was not an easy decision to make so he told them to take some time and consider the offer. That was a week ago. Any day now, the JLU would receive an answer from each of the Titans. As it stood, Robin did not think his team would disband. Although it felt good to be acknowledged by the higher ups, the young leader had no intention of joining a team where he had no control. That was one thing he learned from Batman. The lack of any real super powers was a big disadvantage for them and as his teacher had taught him, they needed to be on top. They wanted no real attachment to any team, for if they wanted to leave, they could do so without compromising how they worked. That all changed when Robin formed the Titans. Tired of living in the shadow of his teacher, Robin "spread his wings" and left Gotham. After meeting his friends, he decided to ask Bruce for help in building his very own team. For some reason, Bruce had but one condition: allow Raven to be in the Titans. It didn't make much sense until after the defeat of Trigon when Batman revealed that Raven had come to the JLU for help against her father which they clearly refused. Batman was the biggest part of the small fraction of the league that wanted to help Raven. From there it was easy. Robin wanted a team and Raven needed help, kill two birds with one stone.

'Which leaves me where I am today.' Thought Robin. During his time with the Titans he had grown considerably. The mirror showed the once small, skinny, brightly green/red/yellow colored costume, now changed to a dark shade of green and red, with slight yellow and a lot more muscle, but not disgustingly so or to the point where the agile Robin was slower. (Think Tim Drake's costume but instead of black, its dark green, almost black. Don't worry, it'll change soon^^)  
>Looking into the mirror he wondered about his dream last night. It was weird at first he was alone, but then he felt comfort as if someone was there. He was broken from his thoughts by the sound of bickering in the kitchen.<p>

"Guess its time for Beastboy and Cyborg to decide whats for breakfast." He smirked.

Surprisingly the kitchen wasn't a total battlefield today. Then it hit him. Today was the day.

"Morning Rob" said the mechanical giant. Age had only made Cyborg bigger than what he already was, a mix between muscle and machine.  
>"Morning Cy, I'm surprised you and BB already quit arguing about whats for breakfast." He teased to try and lighten the mood, to no avail.<br>"Nah, figured everybody wanted to have what they want so we called a truce for today" said the changeling. He too had changed, though not as drastic as others. He was still the same Beastboy that they had met all that time ago, but he matured a tad bit, and got a lot taller.

'Why are they so down? They wouldn't seriously consider leaving the team…would they?' Robin shook the thoughts from his head. 'Of course not, your just over thinking things.' With that Robin grabbed a piece of toast with orange juice and sat down.

Soon enough the last two members joined them. Starfire had grown to be quite a beauty, catching the media's and quite a few other heroes eyes, however, it still seemed she had a soft spot for Robin.

Raven too had grown. While more conservative when standing next to Starfire, Raven exuded an aura of exotic beauty, untouchable to anyone. Her personality changed aswell, now free to express feelings she had taken on a more positive outlook, though she was still the loner of the group.

Since they were finally all together, it was time.

"Well guys, todays the day we tell the Justice League our decision." Robin said calmly.  
>"No point in delaying it, lets just get it over with and tell them we're not interested." As the leader of the Titans, he felt he shouldn't mince words with how he felt on the subject.<p>

"I agree." The empathy said. She was co-leader, so she too felt a bit defensive about the team.  
>"Yea..about that…BB and I decided to accept the offer…"<br>All eyes fell on the tall mechanical man. The room went silent...

A bit of a cliffhanger? R&R?

Ok, first of all, HI everyone! I've been around on the internet scene for quite awhile now, more notably for my online gaming. Maybe some of you guys know me from when Counter-Strike 1.6 was big? I still get on from time to time. More recently, you might know me from a little game called 9dragons? If you do, great, if you don't know me…well…its no big deal, I'm not really anyone big or important in particular, lol.  
>Anyways, this is my first "attempt" at fanfiction. I started reading fanfics when I was a sophomore in high school. So…..that was…2005-06? Meh, the point is, I finally mustered up a bit of courage to post something on here. Lately I've been into TT fanfiction (partly due to playing DCUO a lot when it came out about half a year ago) and thought, What the heck. I'm a HUGE Dick Grayson fan, in all of his forms, but especially his Nightwing persona. I'd like to give credit to where this story is coming from.<br>I have my own story in my head, but for me to say that I did not use these two other stories as a big springboard would be cheap and in my opinion dishonest. The biggest influence on making me write this goes hands down to "The Cruelty of Hope" by NomadicOne. Its still being written, he updates a bit randomly and it has been quite awhile since the last one, but its ALWAYS worth the wait.  
>The second story is "Defiance" by inuyasharbd15fan09. It was a oneshot that was just soooo good, it ended up turning into a full-fledged story which has everything I want in a TT fanfic. Sadly, I do believe it has been abandoned =.  
>My story, takes a few bits and pieces from both, mixed in with my ideas to create what you have just read. Anyways, enough blabbering on my part. I'm new to writing so any feedback would certainly be appreciated though I'm definitely not forcing anyone to. Let me know what you think about the size? Too short? Just barely enough?<br>So anyways R&R if it floats your boat, hope you guys like the story, and ill try my best to make it worth reading. 


	2. Chapter 2

Ok guys, heres one as an early update. My updating schedule is a bit random I suppose, with school, work, and spending time with friends/family/girlfriend, but I think I can manage updates about the size of chapter 1, maybe a bit bigger or a tad bit smaller on a weekly-ish basis. Anyways, chapter 2.

"_Well guys, todays the day we tell the Justice League our decision." Robin said calmly.  
>"No point in delaying it, lets just get it over with and tell them we're not interested." As the leader of the Titans, he felt he shouldn't mince words with how he felt on the subject.<em>

"_I agree." The empath said. She was co-leader, so she too felt a bit defensive about the team.  
>"Yea..about that…BB and I decided to accept the offer…"<br>All eyes fell on the tall mechanical man. The room went silent..._

"What? You guys are actually thinking about leaving the team?" asked the confused leader. He was however, sure of one thing. Cyborg and Beastboy were best friends. He knew that if one of them decided to go, the other would be sure to follow.  
>"Look Robin, we had a great run, but lets face it, this is the big leagues we're talking about." the cybernetic man tried to reason with him. He knew Robin would take it like this. Beastboy had been a bit uneasy at first but Cyborg knew that in the end he could talk him into it. The next phase was figuring out how to break the news to the others, and how to convince Robin that it wasn't personal and that he could ALSO go along if he really wanted to stay with the team.<p>

"Right now we're like college level heroes, the JL is like pro level. Pro!" Beastboy recited, word for word, just like he and Cyborg had planned. They knew the only way to break through to their stubborn leader was to play the "logical" point of view.

"But friends, we are the Titans, are we not? Why change what we are?" questioned the red-haired alien. Starfire liked the way things were, for her, change would throw everything they worked so hard to build out of balance.  
>"We already changed Star." Replied Cyborg. "We were the TEEN Titans, times change Star. Maybe now its time for our next change."<br>Cyborg chanced a glance towards Raven, up until now, the empath had remained silent about the decision they were taking. He had figured that Robin would be stubborn to the bone, but Raven was the one that he wasn't quite sure on what her take would be. 'Is she sitting on the fence about this? Maybe despite her initial opinion, she was waiting to see if someone else would go.'  
>"Look guys, I know how it looks, but seriously, we're not the bad guys. Besides, we're not the only ones leav—"<br>"Beastboy!" exclaimed Cyborg as he cut off the changeling.  
>"..Who else?" asked Robin in a voice void of all emotion. This was his team and it was falling apart.<br>"Well…they didn't want us to say anything but…Titans East were offered the same thing as we were. They are all taking it." answered Cyborg.

"Aqua dude was the first to accept. And Cy talked Bee into it. I think Speedy was already talking with Green Arrow about it before. And the twins are gonna follow the herd I suppose."  
>'No point in hiding it anymore' thought Beastboy with guilt.<p>

At his admission, Raven finally decided to put in her input.  
>"So that's it huh? You guys are all just going to leave? Even after all we've been through, your just going to walk away like this team is nothing?" The empath spoke with a hint of Rage in her voice. It was only natural she would feel that way. The Justice League had once turned her down when she needed help, and now they wanted to break apart her team, her family.<br>"That's enough Raven." the leader spoke, again in that same hollow voice. "Its their decision to make."  
>"Actually Robin, we wanted to run something by you. Since we are a "team", and since most of the team are in favor of doing this, technically the Titans aren't disbanding, it just means you aren't joining us." Cyborg shrugged. Robin's eyes widened in shock, while it was true that they had discussed this before and had come to a conclusion that as a team, big decisions would be made by a majority vote, he never thought it would be like this.<br>"The Titans won't go as individuals man, we'll go in as a small group merging with the League. That's already been settled. The only thing left is to get the actual headcount. We all agreed upon two choices for all of us. Either stay with the team and go through with the merger..or…." Cyborg stopped, deciding it better to leave it open-ended. 'That way it comes down to your choice' he thought.

"So its either with you, or not with you at all. You all voted on this?" Robin asked, his anger now starting to rise. This is one scenario he had thought could have happened when the team first started, but not now, not after so much. It was a shock to him that they would even go behind his back and do this.  
>"Yea Rob. We did." Replied Beastboy.<br>" So hows this gonna go Rob? Star? Rae?" asked Cyborg. He knew that Star, more than likely would side with Robin, it was obvious she was still holding out for him. Raven on the other hand, may take some work, but he was confident that in the end she would stay.  
>"No. Count me out. If you want to play with the big boys, that's fine. Just don't expect me to tag along and go with your mistake. If this is what it comes down to, maybe the Titans are better off without me." Robin spoke, painfully aware that this was the end of line for his team. The team he was so instrumental in building was leaving him behind.<br>"I have my own reasons for not wanting to join." Was all that Raven said. "Think about it Raven, I don't know your reasons but-" was as far as the green man spoke.  
>"Enough. Don't confuse me as someone who can be easily persuaded. You'd be wasting MY time."the emapth spoke clearly, leaving no room for argument.<br>For some reason Robin felt relieved. He actually let out a silent breath he didn't even realize he had been holding.  
>"Then that just leaves you Star. You can stay with two: Raven and Robin, or you can go with the team Star. The TEAM. I know you care about your friends, but you have to think about yourself right now. Your future is secured with the League. Raven and Robin were given the same choice as we were, they chose not to go. I don't know what they plan to do now, but for all you or I know, they plan on going solo now. Is that what you want?"<br>'Its cruel the way I'm manipulating her, but she needs to know what is at risk here. It REALLY is her future, does she really want to risk it by staying just for Robin?' Cyborg thought to himself.

"I….I…." Starfire stuttered. "Its your choice Star." Robin said quietly. Truthfully, he felt like he wanted her to say she would side with him, like she always did, but in a sad way, Cyborg was right. It was her decision to make and he would not influence her.  
>She turned to glance at Cyborg and Beastboy, they were looking at her expectantly, like they really wanted her with them. Then she turned her attention to Raven and Robin. She was sad to see that they held a face of indifference, both Robin and Raven had world class poker faces on, showing no emotion nor what they felt on the matter. 'Someone give me a sign on what I should do' she begged silently to her Gwardont (her god..i just made it up…lol). Beastboy saw her distress and gave her a smile and a thumbs up. That was all it took. She sadly walked over to Cyborg and Beastboys' side, giving Robin one last sad look before she turned away. 'If Robin makes no effort to try and dissuade me, then this is my choice' the alien thought sadly.<p>

"Well that's that then I suppose. We'll go ahead and meet up with Titans East to give the League our decision." was all Cyborg said before turning around and leading Beastboy and Starfire out.  
>There was silence for a full minute after they left. Both Robin and Raven just standing there, staring at the door that their team..no.. that their friends walked out of.<p>

"So what now?" the cloaked girl asked him. She could feel all his emotions running wildly, contrary to his stoic face. She sensed the turnmoil, the betrayal he felt, and the hurt that arose when Starfire decided to leave.  
>"What do you mean, what now?" he said, mildly surprised she asked. There was no longer a team, meaning he was no longer her leader.<br>"Well obviously just what I said. I don't exactly want to go solo, so maybe you would still want to team up? After a bit of R&R of course." It was partly the truth, she didn't want to admit to him that she didn't exactly have anywhere to go either. Then she saw that trademark arrogant smirk on his face.  
>"We'll have to stay at Gotham for awhile though." He said, a bit of his old self showing itself once more.<br>"Whats on your mind Robin?" she asked, slightly curious at the change his emotions were taking.

"That's one thing we need to work on Raven. From now on, call me Nightwing."

Well, that's chapter 2, up and running here. It's a whole day later, and I got a few reviews in, and from the impressions they gave me, they wanted a bit more? I think this chapter was a bit rushed, but honestly I wanted to get through this chapter so I can get to other stuff. Anyways, im a bit worried about my writing style. It seems…I dunno…a bit…cluttered? What do you all think? Well, take care guys, R&R if you want to, anything helps and lets me know you are reading, and that's all for today.


	3. Chapter 3

"_Whats on your mind Robin?" she asked, slightly curious at the change his emotions were taking._

"_That's one thing we need to work on Raven. From now on, call me Nightwing."_

The trip to Gotham was uneventful. After Robin set the tower on lockdown to ensure that no one except them would enter, (while Cyborg did build most of the tower, it was actually funded by Robin, so technically, he owned it) and they were done "gently dumping" their former teammates belongings very close to the edge of the lake surrounding the tower, they took off. It was nighttime when they arrived at the outskirts of Gotham.  
>"Lets take one of the back entrances. We'll go on foot from here." He said with a smile.<br>"Back entrances?" she asked with a raised brow. She wasn't used to his antics as they had never been to his hometown before.  
>"Yea, we have a bunch of stuff going for us here in Gotham." He added fondly.<br>Following a sewage line, they ended up at a dead end. Raven thought of teasing the boy wonder thinking he may have mistakenly led them in the wrong direction but decided against it. She was correct in halting her statement as Robin pressed against something and the wall slid open in two. Instead of seeing darkness, she was surprised to see a somewhat well-lit corridor.  
>"After you." Robin laughed, seeing her surprised expression. She merely shrugged and continued walking in. After a good deal of walking, they reached a chasm in the ground.<br>"Where to now?" she questioned.  
>"The only way TO go." He responded before jumping down and grabbing onto a ledge that she had not seen before."<br>"Showoff." She said while rolling her eyes and simply levitating down.  
>"Well that just takes the fun out of it." He grumbled before composing himself. "We're here."<br>Before them stood a metal door, not massive by any means, and practically invisible to the naked eye among all the rock and natural vegetation. She watched as Robin punched in a code on a hidden keypad and looked into a retinal scanner. Once it opened, she found herself staring into a dark cavern. There, in all of that darkness she could see two platforms connected by a single narrow stretch of stone. On the smaller platform was stationed a car that put the T-Car to shame, on the bigger was a huge assortment of computers, medical equipment and the likes, connected to a spiraling staircase. However, the one she saw right away was a man. She knew who it was before her eyes could register what they were seeing.  
>There, looking straight at them was the infamous Batman.<p>

"Your late." Batman spoke in an even tone. Raven had to note that he was big. Bigger than Cyborg even, and much, much more intimidating.  
>"Really? I didn't realize that you were aware I was even coming." Answered Robin.<p>

"Where else would you go." 'It was a statement, not a question.' Raven realized  
>"I've been expecting you since the moment the others left you."<br>"Yea? Well, it took me a second to figure out my next move."  
>"Which is?"<br>"I'm done being Robin." he answered  
>"Is that so?" Batman asked, although he didn't sound very surprised.<br>"Yeah. Tell Tim that the title of Robin is all his. Me? I think its time to change my image up a bit."  
>"Do tell what you have in mind."<br>"I'm thinking I want a suit on the darker side of the color spectrum." Robin replied, his cheeks coloring when he remembered his argument with Bruce about his previous costume colors.  
>"Well, I'll let Alfred know and you two can get started. I take you have a name for yourself?"<br>"Yea, I decided to go with Nightwing."  
>"Hmm. Fitting I suppose. On another note, are you planning on staying here and working with me or going it on your own?"<br>"I suppose now is as good as any to tell you. I'm making a new team." Nightwing said, shocking Raven and even surprising his mentor a bit.  
>"Haven't you realized how we work? Teams don't necessarily help us, at times they even hinder what we can do. Or they leave you." Batman added as a sidenote.<br>"Don't worry, the problem with the Titans was that it was a random selection. We met out of the blue and formed the team. I didn't know anything about them or their powers, so while we did adapt, I didn't take into consideration how long we would last. My new team will be hand selected."  
>"I still don't like it. Regardless, its your choice, however, I must <em>impress<em> the fact upon you that you are not to bring unauthorized guests to my home."  
>Raven now feeling quite out of place, started to respond, only to be cut off by Nightwing.<br>"She knows everything Bruce, who we are, where we are, the whole nine yards. In order to help me before, she went into my mind." He explained.  
>"I already know that. Why do you think she's still here."<br>Deciding it'd be best to change the subject, Nightwing asked "Where's Tim?"  
>"On patrol. He and Barbara are out while I looked into something."<br>"Barbara is here too?" It had been sometime since he had last seen Barbara, his one time, steady girlfriend and partner as Batgirl. He had heard from Tim that his abrupt departure had left her devastated for awhile but as time went on, he put her to the back of his mind. He saw Bruce raise an eyebrow at his startled response and again felt the need to change the subject.  
>"Umm, what's that lead your looking into, maybe I can help?" he said quickly.<br>"While it does concern your former teammates, I think its best if I look into it alone for now, I'll let you know if it develops into anything more."  
>Raven, who had been merely an onlooker for the most of this encounter thought about speaking, only the look that Nightwing gave her stopped her. He was telling her to drop it, for now at least.<br>" As long as you tell us, I'll back off for now. My NEW team comes first. The old one is a thing of the past. Speaking of which, one of my candidates should be nearby. I'll work on my costume for tonight and we'll go find him tomorrow."  
>"Him?" Raven questioned.<br>"Yes. You will be my co-leader again, right Rae? Now every other member that I have in mind I'd like to hear your thoughts on them, but this one in particular is one that I must have."  
>Raven thought for a moment. 'Who could Nightwing possibly want on his team this much?'<br>"Yes, I consent to being your co-leader again, but who do you have in mind?"  
>"I've been keeping tabs on him for awhile now, and since he's in this area, it makes things that much more easier."<br>"And who would this person be?" Raven asked, now slightly annoyed at being left in the dark for so long. 'At least he's going to let me give my consent with the other members.'  
>Nightwing simply smiled.<br>"You'll know soon enough."

Okay. That's chapter 3. Hmm. What can I say? I struggled a bit on this chapter and it ended up a bit small. I did 3 different full-length versions of this chapter. For some reason..the thought of getting them to meet my second favorite character in DC (Batman) just threw me off. My first version had the 2 birds meeting with Alfred at the front door of the Wayne Manor. But then I thought that, while it would be the more likely way to happen, it would include a lot of useless banter. Obviously they couldn't show up on the front step as Robin and Raven, so it had me writing them in their civilian forms (Richard and Rachel). But that required me to write a scene where Richard and Rachel talked about how they would approach Bruce. In other words it was a halfway rewrite of NomadicOne's chapter where they meet Bruce, but…mine sucked…really bad compared to his. So I scrapped it and started over. The second version had a lot more Raven in it, but then I felt that not much was being said. Which led me to re-re-write it into this one, where I feel the story moved along a bit faster, but I had to cut it short. Now that that's out of the way let me give u a bit of insight into where this story is going. The first thing I want to point out is that, Barbara is still Batgirl in this, not Oracle. Secondly, Bruce has never been in a relation with Barbara. Nightwing, will get a bit darker. Not crazy dark, but more like Batman. His new team will consists of 5 or 6 members, including him and Raven. Here is one thing I would like to hear about from the readers. Obviously, this is RobRae. But I like there to be a bit of an…obstacle.. that keeps them apart for awhile. Make them work for it…lol SO…how does a 6th member fit in for a bit of drama-ish love triangle type stuff? I'm sure most of you can tell who I'm referring to, so let me know about who you think it is, and if you like that idea. I have a general draft/frame for my story, and honestly, having that 6th member or not having her doesn't change the story much, it just adds a bit more flavor in it. It tried to answer most of my reviews that had questions (btw Raven changing names isn't something I have planned), right now its manageable since its not too many. Anyways, this is the longest AN that I plan on writing in the story, so don't worry about it too much. As always, R&R if you feel like it, and hopefully this chapter wasn't a total letdown. More like the calm before the storm


	4. Chapter 4

"_Yes, I consent to being your co-leader again, but who do you have in mind?"  
>"I've been keeping tabs on him for awhile now, and since he's in this area, it makes things that much more easier."<br>"And who would this person be?" Raven asked, now slightly annoyed at being left in the dark for so long. 'At least he's going to let me give my consent with the other members.'  
>Nightwing simply smiled.<br>"You'll know soon enough."_

"You've been at it all night." She told him. The empath had been watching Nightwing make his suit for the past couple of hours. She had to admit, it was a huge step away from the Robin costume.  
>"That's ok, I'm done anyways." Nightwing responded, holding up the new suit. It was all black, with a light blue bird emblem on the front, the wings going up onto the shoulders and down the side of both arms. Accompanying it would be a small black utility belt, which fit so many things that Raven had lost count, and a thin black V-mask. All in all, Raven thought it looked pretty good.<br>'Even better on him I'm sure.' She thought before blushing slightly and shaking the thought from her head.  
>"No cape, boy blunder?" she teased.<br>"No. To me, a cape can serve two purposes. One is to look more heroic, take Superman for example. The other is to look more intimidating like Batman. Though I have to admit that sometimes Bruce's cape saves him, what with it being somewhat bullet proof and fireproof, but I don't plan on staying still long enough for someone to shoot me. Besides, the fabric on my suit is a type of Kevlar. " He replied with a hint of cockiness in his voice.  
>" I could make something for you if you'd like." He added as an afterthought.<br>"No. I like my cloak the way it is, thank you."  
>"I'm not saying you need a complete revamp like my costume but you should consider all the added utilities you could get out of small changes here and there."<br>No one touched her cloak. She found comfort in it, and that made it more important than all the fancy things that anyone could stuff in some utility belt.  
>"No but thanks for your concern." She answered in a slightly nicer voice.<p>

"Isn't it time you tell me who your first pick for the team is?"  
>"Not just yet, Rae. We have to be subtle with this. I havent talked to him in quite some time."<br>"So whats the plan?" she asked, slightly irritated at Richards insistence to keep her in the dark.  
>"I've already talked to Bruce about it. Don't worry Rae, I'll tell you who we're looking for as soon as we get there." He said with a smile.<br>"Fine." she asked, still slightly annoyed but finding that she couldn't stay mad at him. 'I trust his judgment, even if it's questionable at times.'

The sound of footsteps directed their attention to the hallway door. Someone was running quickly, and apparently towards them. When the door opened, a blur tackled Richard to the ground.  
>"I knew it! Whenever Bruce said he was looking up a lead involving the Titans I knew you'd come!"<br>There stood the second incarnation of the Boy Wonder, without the signature Robin costume.  
>"Hey Tim, nice to see you too. " came the muffled response of Dick.<br>"Boy do I have some stories to tell you! Although it hasn't been as fun since you left, and Bruce has been moodier lately." Tim said, thinking a bit more deeply towards the end of his statement.  
>"But that's not important! Whats going on? Why are you here? And who is this?" He asked suddenly, seeing Raven for the first time.<br>"This is Raven, my teammate, Raven meet Tim, my brother." Robin said, trying to make Raven feel a bit less awkward by introducing her first before answering the other questions.  
>"Nice to meet you Tim. I've heard lots of good things about you." Answered Raven politely.<br>"Nice to meet you aswell, sadly, I haven't really heard much about the individual Titans, Richard doesn't come by very often." Tim grumbled before there was a knock on the door.

"Young master, please leave madam Rachel and Master Richard be for the night. You can catch up plenty during breakfast tomorrow. Right now, you must get your rest and be ready to continue your studies in the morning or Master Bruce will cut your patrol time." Said the elderly voice of Alfred.  
>"Fine, we'll catch up later bro. G'night Raven." He said before grudgingly following Alfred down the hall.<br>"Nice kid. I take it your not really brothers?" Raven questioned.  
>"Oh we're brothers, just not by blood." Richard answered with a smile.<p>

"Well I guess we should call it a night. I'll be in the room across the hall if you need anything. Goodnight Rae." he said. They paused, both staring at each other for a bit before he added "And thanks for sticking by me. It means a lot."  
>"No problem." She said, giving him the biggest smile she could make without feeling silly.<br>"Goodnight. Sweet dreams." She said as she closed the door. She listened to as he walked across the hall and went into his room. 'A shower sounds good before I go to bed.' She thought. As she went to gather her clothes, she heard a soft knock on the door. 'Must be Richard. He probably forgot something.'  
>She was surprised when she opened the door, for it was not Richard that stood there, but a very pretty redhead. Apparently, the redhead was not expecting Raven to be on the other side of the door either.<p>

"Oh, I'm sorry. I must have the wrong room." The girl said blushing cutely. "You must be Rachel."  
>Raven feeling a bit confused responded, "Yes, I'm sorry, and you are?"<br>"I'm Barbara Gordon."  
>That's when it hit her. She was looking for Richard.<br>"Nice to meet you, you were looking for Richard I assume?" Raven asked. For some reason she felt..defensive.  
>"Oh, yes, of course. I didn't mean to bother you. I saw the light was on and I figured that it was him, he always liked to stay up late. Of course, it has been some time since I last saw him."Barbara replied.<br>"Don't worry, he's still like that." Raven replied.  
>"Some things never change I suppose. So tell me about him. Its been a few years since I've seen him, every time he would stop by at Gotham , I would be away. Its been horrible luck but it looks like that finally changed." She said with a dreamy face. A face that Raven did not like very much.<p>

It was odd, but Raven could have sworn that she'd seen that same dreamy look on someone else. Then it came to her. It was the same look Starfire used to have whenever she would talk about Robin. Raven felt a pang in her stomach. For some reason, she was actually enjoying being the only person around Nightwing. Now that Barbara was here, that could all change.  
>"Lucky you." Raven spoke in a somewhat sarcastic tone, however Barbara didn't seem to notice it.<br>"Come on in, I don't suppose you want to talk in the hallway." The empath said.  
>"Thank you." Replied Barbara, entering the room and taking a seat on one of the chairs next to the table where Raven and Robin had been working on his suit.<br>"So is there anything in particular that you wanted to know?" Raven asked. She was never one for small talk.  
>"No, no, nothing really in particular. Just wondering how he's been lately. He used to be so carefree when I first met him, as we got older he turned more serious and devoted to his..work. I'm simply curious as to how is been. Is he doing okay? Does his work still take priority? Is he seeing anyone?" she finished off shyly.<br>Raven had only been listening half-heartedly until the last question broke her out of her thoughts.  
>"Is he seeing anyone?" Raven repeated.<br>"Yes." Barbara confirmed. "You know, just for reference." She laughed.  
>"I see. Well, no, he's not seeing anyone at the moment. Him and Star had something going on but obviously that didn't work out or else she'd be here talking with you and not me." Raven said."<br>"Now that you mention it..Why did you come with him? Why not the whole team?" Barbara said, now looking at Raven somewhat differently, as if she were finally starting to realize something.  
>"The Titans joined up with the Justice League. Richard and I refused the offer and we ended coming here. He got over the Titans abandoning him pretty quickly, and now he's building a new team. He came here in part find someone and to hang up his "Robin cape" for good. Now he goes by the name of Nightwing."<br>"I see. But that still doesn't answer one of my questions, why did you come with him?" Now Barbara was giving Raven a calculating look.  
>'Must be the skill she learned from working alongside Batman and Robin. Too bad for you, I'm used to dealing with Robin, and he seems to be much better at reading people than you.' Raven thought.<br>"Me? I didn't want to join the League, going along with Nightwing was the most reasonable choice I had." Raven explained. She didn't like the way this was turning out.  
>"You know what I think?" Barbara said slowly.<br>"No." Raven replied, meeting her stare with one of her own.  
>"You like him don't you?" Barbara stated. Raven's eyes widened.<br>"You don't know what your talking about. We're friends, nothing more." Raven said back, a bit more strongly than she felt. Her emotions were starting to overflow. She had to calm down.  
>"You can't hide it from me. I know the effect Richard has." The redhead said somewhat sadly.<br>"I've waited for him to come back. I'm sorry Raven, but I won't just let my chance go to waste."

Raven contemplated what she said. Maybe, just maybe, she had a small crush on Nightwing. It would explain her behavior lately, but she was still a bit skeptical of it being anything bigger.  
>"That doesn't change anything, Richard and I are still friends. Try your best, but if you try too hard it'll backfire like it did with Star." Raven said.<p>

Barbara stood and walked out the door, turned to look over her shoulder and gave Raven a sad smile.  
>"I hope we can be friends. No matter how things turn out."<br>"So do I." Was all the empath could say before the redhead left.  
>She was left alone to think, before drifting off into a restless sleep.<p>

So that was that. Just in case you all didn't realize it before, the possible 6th member would be Barbara. If there were to be a triangle, it would be relatively short lived. And sorry if Barbara seemed OOC, I know shes usually strong and confident compared to what I portrayed her as. (I think I made her seem a bit too shy and fan-girlish) but I digress. Anyways, the reason I didn't mention much about the first member of the team is because, one, I didn't really feel like it, and two, I'm posting this up a day after chapter 3. So…I should make ya'll wait a bit more. Lol, anyways, keep in mind that I said heroes can become enemies and that enemies can become friends.  
>About this chapter, I felt I needed a sort of catalyst to get Raven to actually give thought on what she is feeling towards Nightwing. And that catalyst comes in the form of Barbara. I read somewhere that Dick Grayson is the Male Counterpart to Wonder Women in DC Universe, in the way that women of all ages are attracted to him just like men of all ages are attracted to WW. Also, the Nightwing suit is the one he uses in DCUO, I like it more than the disco looking one..lol. Well that's it for me today, ill try to get the next chapter posted up pretty soon as well. R&amp;R if you like, or as long as they are not just flat out flames about something pointless like the pairing or something, tell me what you don't like. <p>


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